This invention relates, in general, to a data terminal system in which each terminal has a stand-alone characteristic so that the system arrangement is not dependent on the proper functioning of each terminal, or on the interconnection between terminals.
Personnel access procedures in schools, hospitals and other institutions range from the seemingly simple sign in procedure, with or without a security guard, to complex recognition systems employing computer recognition of an access card, a fingerprint and/or signature. All of these techniques have an appropriate plate as a function of security requirements, risks that may be undertaken and cost considerations.
There are circumstances, such as in a school with multiple classrooms, where individual students may have to check in at many different places, at the school entrance and at various classrooms during the course of the day. With a number of terminals (one per classroom, for example) and a large number of students, processing capacity requirements are compounded by substantial simultaneous usage as at the beginning of each class. The cost of controlling a large number of terminals simultaneously is prohibitive because of the processing capacity required.
At the same time, it is important in such situations that the entry data be readily processed to provide fairly immediate access to the information for the purpose of determining attendance or absence.
At the present state of the art, the cost, complexity and risk of malfunction when interconnecting a large number of terminals in many different rooms in institutions such as schools and hospitals is unacceptable. The data flow through rate is severely limited by the number of terminals per interface board and by the number of slots in the processor to handle the boards.
Accordingly, it is a major purpose of this invention to provide an access control and access information system involving a multi-terminal arrangement in which an optimum trade-off is made between costs, complexity and utility, in which there is a minimum of maintenance required and in which the capability exists to obtain current information when and as required.
It is a related purpose of this invention to provide the above system parameters is a system that has substantial security and provides a minimum opportunity for tampering or compromising.